In what is rapidly turning into an international incident, Kraft is disavowing a story from 2005 in which he allegedly gave the $25,000 memento to the Russian leader as a gesture of goodwill.

Kraft is now saying the White House forced him to put out that version and alleges the real story is far more insidious.

According to the Pats owner, after showing the 4.94-carat ring to Putin, the Russian prime minister put it on his finger, quipped, "I can kill someone with this ring," and then pocketed it. Kraft charges he had no chance to get his ring back after three KGB agents surrounded Putin as he walked away.

Responding to Kraft's accusation, a Putin spokesman said, "What Mr. Kraft is saying now is weird. I was standing 20 centimeters away from him and Mr. Putin and saw and heard how Mr. Kraft gave this ring as a gift."